News

South Korea’s Defence Intelligence Agency says North Korea could conduct a major nuclear test «in a short time» if leader Kim Jong Un orders it, and that Pyongyang is also showing signs of preparing more spy satellite launches with Russian technical support.

Lawmakers were told the assessment during a closed parliamentary audit, which said North Korea has facilities at the Punggye-ri test site ready for use and could mount a test quickly if directed. The agency also flagged activity suggesting further satellite launches aimed at higher-resolution reconnaissance.

The warning comes after Kim vowed in September to...

Chris Eubank Jr has revealed the severe aftermath of his April clash with Conor Benn, responding to critics who accused him of seeking sympathy.

At a press conference in September promoting their upcoming rematch, the IBO middleweight champion claimed his ambulance was delayed leaving Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after their 12-round fight, which he won by unanimous decision. On November 3, Eubank Jr posted a video on social media showing an ambulance attempting to leave the venue, which he said supported his claim.

Battered and Bruised

The 36-year-old, son of boxing legend Chris Eubank, faced criticism from some followers...

Gemma Collins, 44, is reportedly preparing to leave her £2M Essex mansion as she sets her sights on a new life in Dubai. The Only Way Is Essex star joins a growing number of British reality personalities relocating to the United Arab Emirates in search of fresh opportunities.

The TV star recently shared a post from Dubai, writing:

«If you can dream it, you can do it in Dubai. Dubai is a place of positivity, a place of making dreams come true.»

Viewing Homes Abroad

Gemma is currently viewing villas in popular areas...

Gopichand Hinduja, the head of the UK’s richest family, has passed away at the age of 85. Known as GP, he and his family built their fortune through the Hinduja Group, an Indian conglomerate active in finance, media, entertainment, oil and eight other sectors, employing around 200,000 people worldwide.

The family said in a statement that he would leave “a deep hole at the heart of our family” and would be “remembered for his formidable work”.

GP Hinduja expanded his father’s modest textile and trading businesses into a global conglomerate and one of India’s largest companies. Lord Karan Bilimoria...

From January to September 2025, Uzbekistan imported 56,300 passenger cars from 29 countries, valued at $807.3 mln, according to the State Statistics Committee. This represents an increase of 1,900 vehicles compared with the same period last year.

China was by far the largest supplier, providing 51,800 cars. Other notable exporters included South Korea with 2,500 vehicles, the United States with 511, Japan with 296, and Germany with 265.

Smaller shipments came from Hong Kong, Russia, India, the UAE and Austria, each contributing fewer than 250 cars.

Kursiv also reports that in September, car sales in Uzbekistan reached...

Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City, becoming the youngest person to hold the office since 1892, the city’s first Muslim mayor, and the first mayor born in Africa. Entering the race with minimal name recognition, limited funding, and no major party backing, Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Silwa, marking a notable political victory.

Mamdani ran on a platform addressing economic concerns such as housing affordability, public transport, and social services. He supported policies including free childcare and expanded city programmes, while appealing to working-class voters without abandoning progressive cultural priorities. His campaign...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Washington on Tuesday, November 4, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump and take part in the C5+1 summit.

Alongside the main talks, Mirziyoyev will also hold meetings with members of Congress, representatives of the US government and leading American businesses. According to the president’s press service, the key engagements are planned for November 5 and 6, with the C5+1 summit to be held in Washington on November 6. The gathering will bring together the leaders of all Central Asian states and the US President.

The Diplomat notes that...

Cristiano Ronaldo has said he plans to retire «soon» and expects he will cry when his long career comes to an end.

The 40-year-old forward, who plays for Al Nassr and Portugal, spoke to Piers Morgan and said he has already prepared for life after football.

«It will be tough,» Ronaldo said. «Probably I will cry, yes. But I have prepared for my future since I was 25 or 26. I think I will be ready.»

Ronaldo has scored 952 career goals and won five Ballon d’Or awards. He still watches Manchester United, where...

Net revenues rose 7.4% to €1.766bn as total shipments held near flat at 3,401 cars. Operating profit (EBIT) grew 7.6% to €503mln with a margin of 28.4%. Net profit was €382mln with diluted EPS of €2.14. EBITDA increased 5.0% to €670mln with a margin of 37.9%. Industrial free cash flow was €365m.

Ferrari said richer mix and higher personalisation offset lower Daytona SP3 deliveries. The quarter was led by the 296 GTS, Purosangue, 12Cilindri and Roma Spider. Hybrids were 43% of shipments and ICE models were 57%.

Management lifted full-year targets after its Capital Markets Day. It cited a...

Former England captain David Beckham has been knighted by King Charles in recognition of his contribution to football and British society. The 50-year-old received the honour at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, accompanied by his wife Victoria and his parents.

Beckham said he was «incredibly proud», highlighting his patriotism and long-standing admiration for the monarchy. «I’ve always said how important the monarchy is to my family,» he said, adding that people often ask him about the Royal Family when he travels abroad.

Victoria Beckham designed her husband’s morning suit for the ceremony, inspired by archival images of the King in...

Afghan women footballers forced into exile by the Taliban have returned to the international stage, competing at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series in Morocco and symbolising resilience in the face of repression.

Among them is 22-year-old Manoozh Noori, who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban banned women from education, work and sports. Noori once played for the national team but buried her medals before escaping to Australia. «Do I want to stay in a country where women are forbidden from studying or playing football?» she said, recalling her decision to leave.

Her team, Afghan Women United — formed by refugee...

Efforts to thaw relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government are colliding with a flare-up of violence on their shared border, underscoring the fragility of any rapprochement.

Balkh governor Muhammad Yusuf Vafo paid a quiet visit to Dushanbe on 23 October, meeting Tajik National Security Committee chief Saimumin Yatimov to discuss cooperation and pledging to prevent hostile groups from operating across the frontier. The outreach followed earlier, unconfirmed security contacts and limited technical engagement on projects such as CASA-1000.

Within days, however, Tajik and Taliban forces exchanged fire near a gold-mining site across the Pyanj River on 25 October...

Uzbekistan’s National Agency of Perspective Projects (NAPP) has registered the Central Depository of Armenia (CDA) as a participant in its regulatory sandbox, the agency announced.

The inclusion of foreign institutions in the sandbox enables Uzbekistan to exchange global expertise and create a more open investment environment. According to NAPP, the presence of international companies helps adopt best practices and simplifies access for investors seeking to enter Uzbekistan’s financial market.

The CDA oversees Armenia’s securities accounting and settlement systems and operates in line with international ISO standards. It holds a BBB rating from the UK-based agency Thomas Murray and is...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday held a phone conversation with Taliban foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, offering condolences after a powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near Mazar-e-Sharif and affected Balkh, Samangan and Baghlan provinces.

Jaishankar said Indian relief supplies had been handed over to Afghan authorities, with additional medical aid on the way. He noted progress in bilateral ties since Muttaqi’s recent visit to New Delhi and welcomed strengthening people-to-people contacts.

The leaders also discussed the regional security environment amid rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad following deadly border clashes. India has publicly backed Afghanistan’s sovereignty...

Global financial markets may be facing a reality check after this year’s relentless surge, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley warning investors on October 4 to prepare for a potential market correction over the next two years.

Global Equities Reach Record Levels

Stocks around the world have climbed to record highs, fuelled by AI-related gains and expectations of interest rate cuts. In the past month, major US indexes have reached new peaks, Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi have risen to fresh highs, and China’s Shanghai Composite has hit its strongest level in a decade, helped by...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the World Summit in Doha, where he proposed the establishment of a Global Social Justice Fund aimed at combating poverty and narrowing inequality across nations.

Mirziyoyev reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to supporting international efforts for sustainable development and shared details of the country’s recent social reforms. Over the past few years, Uzbekistan has achieved a remarkable reduction in poverty levels from 35% down to 6.6%, he noted.

Key Initiatives for Global Cooperation

In addition to the proposed Global Fund, the president outlined several other key initiatives, including:

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has set strict terms for any talks with the United States, saying Washington must end support for Israel and pull its forces from the region before Tehran will consider engagement.

His remarks came a day after a CBS 60 Minutes interview in which US President Donald Trump said he had «blasted the hell out of» Iran, and claimed Tehran now has no nuclear capability.

Iran has pushed back at the comments, while analysts warn the stand-off could harden without a change in tone from either side.

The exchanges follow US strikes...

Kimberly-Clark, the American company behind Kleenex tissues and Huggies nappies, is set to acquire Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol and other household brands in a cash-and-stock deal valued at more than $40 bn (£30.5 bn). The merger would form a global consumer goods powerhouse with some of the most recognisable bathroom and medicine cabinet staples in the world.

Creating a Consumer Health Powerhouse

Kenvue, which also owns brands such as Band-Aid, Zyrtec, Benadryl, Neutrogena and Aveeno, has struggled since its spin-off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. The separation was intended to give both companies sharper focus, but...

Nintendo has reported a 110% surge in sales between April and September 2025 compared with the same period last year, reaching ¥1.1 trln ($7.26 bn). The company’s net profit rose by 83% to ¥198.9 bn ($1.3 bn), according to its latest financial report.

The impressive results were largely driven by the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which sold more than 10 mln units within four months of its June release. Games for the new console also performed strongly, with total sales hitting 20.6 mln copies. Bestsellers included Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Buoyed by the success of...

From January 1, 2026, Uzbekistan plans to reduce the average cost of 2,600 prescription medicines by 40–50%. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed new initiatives in the pharmaceutical sector and programmes supporting children with rare diseases.

All state procurement of medicines and medical devices will be conducted through a new electronic platform, farma.xarid.uz, designed to prevent low-quality products and corruption. Only companies with international GMP, ISO:13485 and GDP certifications will be eligible to participate in tenders. The system will provide open information about state purchases, certified producers, and distributors, and automatically ensure procurement prices do not exceed the set reference levels.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo posted a photo on Instagram featuring Pierce Morgan’s new book, Woke Is Dead.

Yes, the same Pierce Morgan with whom Ronaldo once gave «the most revealing interview of his life,» an interview that later triggered controversy during his Manchester United career and preceded his move to Saudi Arabia. Now, both figures are back in the spotlight.

Morgan’s book attacks woke culture, cancel culture and what he calls «toxic virtue.» In Woke Is Dead, he argues that the era of extreme political correctness is over: «The world has finally woken up.» With his usual boldness, Morgan...

Saudi Arabia has slowed its ambitious $2 trln Vision 2030 strategy, citing lower oil prices and overspending. The plan, launched in 2016, aims to diversify the economy away from oil towards tourism, technology and entertainment.

Gigaprojects Hit by Financial Reality

Riyadh invested hundreds of billions into mega-developments, including The Line, a proposed 110-mile-long futuristic city. Vision 2030 assumed oil would remain above $100 a barrel, but prices are currently around $60, creating financial strain.

Jerry Inzerillo, an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, described the adjustments as a “course correction,” noting the kingdom must now spend more...

Bianca Censori has returned to Australia, arriving in Melbourne just ahead of the Melbourne Cup.

The 30-year-old, wife of rapper Kanye West, landed at Melbourne Airport on October 4 morning after a long flight from Los Angeles. She confirmed her ongoing relationship with West by wearing her wedding ring, although he was not with her.

Censori caught attention in a striking outfit: a tight grey top over high-waisted underpants, reflective gold stockings, silver stilettos, a cropped fur jacket, and a black Hermès Birkin bag. She partially shielded her face with a khaki baker-boy cap while navigating the arrivals terminal...

Sydney Sweeney has faced strong criticism online for her German accent in the new film Eden, with some viewers describing it as «terrible» and even «AI-generated.»

The true-life thriller, released in August, follows a group of disillusioned Europeans who move to an uninhabited island in the Galapagos, only to discover that the greatest danger comes from each other.

Role of Margret Wittmer

Sweeney, 28, plays Margret Wittmer, a real German woman who settled on the island in the 1930s with her husband and later chronicled her life in the 1959 book Floreana: A Woman’s Pilgrimage to the Galápagos.